April 5, 2021
Spring training really is meaningless, Part 2
The Twins appear to have put March and a lack of hitting behind them after they banged out 11 hits on Sunday in an 8-2 win and series win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Luis Arraez had a 3-for-3 day at the top of the order, plus Byron Buxton doubled, Mitch Garver and Miguel Sano homered,... Continue Reading »
March 31, 2021
Twins end Grapefruit League play with a single, solitary hit
Spring training came to an end on Tuesday, the Twins scoring one run on one hit (no, it wasn’t a home run) to finish in a 1-1 tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Starter Matt Shoemaker allowed a run over three innings and the bullpen was perfect the rest of the way. So, what does it... Continue Reading »
March 25, 2021
Here’s the sad part: If Buxton, Kepler and Sano were rookies, they’d be optioned, too
The starting pitching has been strong, the bullpen has shown improvement, but this Twins team is not hitting, and that was underscored Tuesday after they were shut out by the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0. The Twins had a grand total of three hits. After that loss, I crunched some numbers that showed the Twins have scored... Continue Reading »
March 15, 2021
The real-deal Twins looked good on Sunday. However, about the bullpen…
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli unveiled the real deal on Sunday, using a lineup that we can probably expect to see a lot during the regular season. All the familiar names were there: Max Kepler, Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Andrelton Simmons and Brent Rooker, who played in left... Continue Reading »
March 13, 2021
Despite a losing record, Twins starting pitching remains sharp this spring
The ball isn’t flying into the outfield stands at a rate we’ve come to expect from the Twins, but it certainly is sailing well off the mound based on the low number of earned runs starters have allowed this spring. And it continued Friday after Michael Pineda gave up only one earned run over two-plus... Continue Reading »
March 8, 2021
Twins starting pitching has been sensational. The bullpen? Now that’s a different story
In games that Twins pitchers Jose Berrios, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Matt Shoemaker, Devin Smeltzer and Lewis Thorpe have started so far this spring — and this is likely to be the starting rotation, give or take Smeltzer, for the regular season — they have allowed a grand total of one earned run. That came... Continue Reading »
January 24, 2021
How do you like the Twins now?
A recent check of social media showed that all was not well in Twins Territory. Twins fans, at least on Twitter, appeared to be coming unglued due to the lack of deal-making so far this offseason. As top free agents continued to come off the board and go elsewhere, such as reliever Kirby Yates and... Continue Reading »
September 20, 2020
Twins win, return to postseason for 14th time in team history
This time the Twins scored first and piled on late to carve up the Cubs and clinch a playoff berth with an 8-1 victory on Saturday. The power show had been missing of late until Eddie Rosario hit a first-inning home run. The unrepentant Josh Donaldson hit one out as well, but it was Miguel... Continue Reading »
September 14, 2020
Twins sweep Tribe. Now, bring on the Chicago White Sox
It’s just what the doctor ordered: A three-game sweep, a nice cushion in the form of a 30-18 record and what would appear to be plenty of momentum as the Twins head to Chicago to play the White Sox and Cubs. But first there was Sunday’s game. The Twins rallied from a 3-0 deficit by... Continue Reading »